New Development in Behavioral Health

“The Bureau of Primary Care authorized the Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa (CHCSI) to add four additional cities to its delivery sites, Chariton, Corydon, Albia and Centerville. This extends service to Lucas, Wayne, Monroe and Appanoose counties,” according to Gary Rees, CEO of CHCSI.

“With this authorization, the Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa and Rathbun Area Mental Health Centers (RAMHC) will combine their organizations to provide mental health service to over 3,100 people throughout southern Iowa,” Dennis Ryan, chairperson of RAMHC, said. “These two organizations have been planning this reorganization for quite some time,” Ryan said, “and have been waiting for the bureau’s authorization. Both boards have agreed to this effort, and over the next few months, we will be working through the transition.”

Iowa is designated a mental health shortage area. Southern Iowa has the most severe mental health workforce shortages. Iowa has 6.6 practicing psychiatrists for every 100,000 residents. That ratio is worse than in all but three other states: Idaho, Nevada and Mississippi.

“We hope the joining of our two organizations will help us recruit qualified psychiatric and behavioral health personnel to the area,” Dave Hook added. Hook will be Administrative Director of the behavioral organization, the Behavioral Health Centers of Southern Iowa, which is a division of the Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa.